#1342 Nasser Khalili

#1342 Nasser Khalili

2013 Billionaires NET WORTH

$1B

as of 3/26/13

Nasser Khalili is an Iranian-born academic and former art dealer who owns one of the world's largest private collections of Islamic art, with more than 20,000 pieces spanning 1,400 years. Nicknamed the secret sultan, Khalili left Iran before the 1979 revolution and now lives in London as a dual U.S.-British citizen. His collection includes rare Koranic manuscripts, paintings, ceramics, glass, and textiles. When he was a teenager he made his first purchase, of a 19th century Qajar lacquer pen box. Khalili became known as a collector in the '80s. He denied rumors that he was buying on behalf of the Sultan of Brunei. In 2012, Arabian royals in Qatar and Kuwait and private buyers from Europe and Asia supported the top end of the Islamic art market, boosting Khalili's fortune. He also collects Japanese art from the Meiji period, Indian and Swedish textiles, and Spanish metal works. The Khalili Family Trust holds all of his collections. Khalili owns commercial and retail properties in and around London, including in tony Mayfair. He is reportedly building an energy-efficient office block dubbed "The Wave." Khalili is co-founder and chairman of the Maimonides Foundation, a charity that promotes interfaith peace and understanding.